MORE charges could be brought against a thug who left his ex in a coma, after she suddenly died.

Kathryn Cook died seven months after being beaten and left for dead by former boyfriend Paul Northey.

For months, the loving mum-of-one has been in a coma while her family kept a vigil at her hospital bedside.

But at the weekend the 44-year-old, who has clung on for so long, lost her battle.

And now lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service have confirmed more charges could be brought against Northey.

Her death, at 7am on Saturday, came three days after Northey was jailed for the attack which left Kathryn fighting for life.

She was found, badly beaten, at her home in Penshaw Gardens, Stanley, on June 25 by her daughter Rebecca, who was 10 at the time.

The attack was just three days after the family arrived back from their annual holiday together on the Costa Del Sol.

Throughout the ordeal her parents, Philip and Kathleen, both 69, have kept hopeful their daughter would pull through with the help of nursing staff at Bishop Auckland General Hospital.

Each weekend Rebecca, now 11, would visit her mum clasping tightly onto her hand in the hope she would recover.

Kathleen, who lives doors away from Kathryn’s home, said: “We got a phone call late on Friday to say Kathryn had a chest infection and would be given antibiotics. We didn’t think anything of it as she’s had infections before and overcome them.

“Just recently the nurses have been saying how well Kathryn was looking, better than she had for a long time. It was all very positive.”

But at 4.45am on Saturday, the Cooks got the call they’d dreaded, and with their son Michael and daughter-in-law Lorraine, rushed to be with their daughter.

In her final hours, Kathryn was surrounded by her close-knit family.

Kathleen added: “She has battled for so long that it is still such a shock to us all. She will be such a big loss.”

Kathryn had been in a coma since the attack last summer. Northey, her partner of six years, was later arrested at his home in Wylam Road, Stanley.

Last Wednesday the 39-year-old was sentenced to eight years behind bars after admitting causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Chris Enzor, the chief Crown Prosecutor for Durham, said: “We would certainly give serious and careful consideration to any report submitted to us by Durham Police.”